Method of making shoe lasts



c 30,- .193 J. R. DEXTER 1,979,193

OF MAKING SHOE LAS Filed Oct. 28, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 30, 1934.J. R. DEXTER METHOD OF MAKING SHOE LASTS Filed Oct. 28, 1933 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Jakml ffi INVENTQR j flmum or ATTO R N EY Patented Oct.30, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for making shoe lastsand more particularly to adapt a new design of toe and instep portionsof a last to heel portions already in use and heretofore found to beimpractical due to said parts not aligning when assembled, causingimproper forming of shoes from such lasts, and the present invention hasfor the primary object the accuracy of drilling of the hinge pin openingin the toe or instep portion so that it aligns with the hinge pinopening of the heel portion so that when assembled said portions are inproper alignment with each other and obviates the necessity and expenseof constructing an entire shoe last when it is only desired to alter thedesign of the instep and toe portions.

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section illustrating a shoe lastconstructed in accordance with my invention wherein the heel portion isof a design already in use and the toe and instep portion of a newdesign.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a sample toe and instep portion with thehinge pin opening closed by a plug carrying headed elements in its end.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a toe and instep portion copied from thenew design prior to having the hinge pin opening formed therein.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side elevation partly in section illustrating a machine orjig designed especially for drilling the hinge pin opening in the newdesign toe and instep portion in accordance with the markings thereon.

Figure 7 is a top plan view illustrating the jig.

Figure 8 is a detail view illustrating holding pins and a centering pinfor the drill.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a sampleshoe last consisting of a toe and instep portion 2 of a new design and aheel portion 3 of the same design as heel portions already in use. Thesample last is made from a single block of wood and is first shaped tothe desired design and then placed in a machine for the purpose offorming therein in a single operation hinge pin openings. The samplelast is then cut to separate the heel portion from the toe and instepportion and said portions are then recessed to receive the hinge 4, thehinge pins 5 thereof fitting within the openings heretofore drilledtherefor, consequently the toe and instep portion is in proper alignmentwith the heel portion when joined by the hinge. The sample lastconstructed in accordance with the foregoing is given to the lastmanufacturer with instructions to produce toe and instep portionstherefrom which will properly fit and align with the heel portionsalready in use. Heretofore, it has been impossible to con- 63 struct toeand instep portions that would align with heel portions already in usedue to the fact that there was no way of accurately aligning the hingepin opening of the instep and toe portion with the hinge pin opening ofthe heel portion 65 already in use. The present invention successfullyaccomplishes this result.

The sample toe and instep portion minus the hinge and heel portion isplaced in 2. copying machine along with a block of wood and the machinecopies the design from the sample instep and toe portion onto the blockof wood. Before starting the copying machine in operation, the hinge pinopening of the sample instep and toe portion is closed by a plug 6 andheaded tacks or similar elements '7 are placed in the ends of the plug,care being taken that the headed elements 7 are in alignment with thecenter of the plug. The copying machine during its operation besidescopying the design of the toe and instep portion upon the block alsoindicates upon the block raised portions 8, as shown in Figure 5,representing exactly where the hinge pin opening is to be drilled in thenewly produced instep and toe portions 9. The toe and instep portion 9is then placed in a jig 10, which will be hereinafter more fullydescribed for the purpose of accurately drilling the hinge pin openingtherein and in accordance with the raised portions 8 so that when thetoe and instep portion 9 is connected to the i hinge of the heel portionalready in use said toe and instep portion 9 will properly aligntherewith.

The jig 10 is designed especially for accurately drilling the hinge pinopening in the toe and instep portion 9 and consists of a base 11 with avertical standard 12. A guide sleeve 13 is mounted on the base adjacentthe standard 12 and slidably supports a centering pin 14 and alsoholding pins 15 arranged upon opposite sides of the centering pin. Thesleeve 13 is provided with a slot 16 for receiving one end of apivotally mounted lever 17, said end of the lever fitting in a slot 18formed in the centering pin. The lever is pivoted to a standard 19mounted upon the base and the other end of said lever is slightly curvedand is engaged by an eccentric 20 pivoted to a standard 21, as shown at22, and is provided with an operating lever 23. A coil spring 24 isconnected to the lever 17 and to the base 11 in alignment with thepointed end of the centering pin 14. The drill is adapted to be'rotated,advanced and retarded in any suitable manner. The drill operatingmechanism 25 also includes a centering sleeve 28 adapted-to be advancedtowards the sleeve 13 by the hand operated mechanism 2'7. The unboredtoe and instep portion 9 is positioned between the-centering sleeve 28and the pins 15 of the sleeve 13, the lower end of the sleeve 28 fittingover the projection 8 at one side of the toe portion 9 while the pointedend of the centering pin 14 1s brought into engagement with the oppositeoffset-8 with the pins 15 engaging the toe and instep portion 9..Sufficient pressure is placedupon the lever 1'7 by the eccentric 20 tocause the centering pin to bight into the ofiset 8. The drill isthen'set in operation-and aftersaid drill advances substantially throughtheportion 9, the lever 23 is actuated to allow the spring 24 to movethe centering pin 14 downwardly away from engagement with the toe andinstep portion :9 so that the drill may complete its boring and followthrough into the sleeve 13. The drill is then rotated in a reversedirection to be fed out of the bored hole in the toe and instep portion9 whence the latter may be freed from the jig by operating the mechanism2'7 manually. The toe and instep portion 9 thus drilled will have thepin opening accurately aligned with the pin opening in the heel portionalready in use so that when the hinge is applied to said portion the toeand heel portion 9 will be properly assembled with the heel portionalready in use.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction,combination and arrangement of partsmay be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of my invention, as claimed.

Having described the invention, I claim:

A method of reproducing a determined shoe last consisting in firsttaking a last matrix of a determined instep and toe portion having ahinge vpin hole for a hinge of a heel portion of a last and introducinga plug into said hole, then capping the ends of said plug to presentcentering localities with relation to said hole, then placing the matrixinto a copying machine to produce a last imitative of the matrix withthe centering :localities and finally drilling the last at saidcentering localities.

JOHN R. DEXTER.

